Match Preview

Kings Langley will continue their pre-season programme with a short journey up the A41 on Saturday afternoon to face Tring Athletic at Grass Roots Stadium.

On the back of a solid and encouraging display from Kings in their first outing after the summer break against Hendon earlier in the week, Jordan Parkes will be hoping to see a more fluid attacking performance from his team this weekend in order to build momentum and boost morale ahead of the upcoming season.

Having effectively started from scratch with an almost complete overhaul of the squad this summer, Jordan gave us a first glimpse of what we might be able to expect next year during the week. Against tough opponents, Kings lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and pressed high up the pitch when out of possession throughout the game. On the ball, the defence and midfield regularly looked to find the feet of centre-forward Rene Howe, who dropped off the opposition centre backs to link play and create space for inside runs from players in the wide positions.

It was hard to draw too many conclusions from the opening fixture, but more patterns of play will surely emerge over the coming weeks. With the new boss focused on bringing a forward-thinking and exciting style of football to The Orbital Fasteners Stadium, each pre-season game will be crucial for the development of player relationships and combinations further up the pitch, particularly against lower-tier Tring at the weekend.

Tring should provide a different type of challenge for Kings, although they are a less well-known quantity than our previous pre-season opponents. Our last competitive fixture was in the St. Mary’s Challenge Cup Final in May 2017, which Tring won by a single goal, and our last league fixture was all the way back in December 2014, during a title-winning season for Lango in the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division. However, it was Tring who were again victorious that day with a shock 3-1 away win over the league leaders.

Fitness and cohesion, rather than the result, will be the primary aim for the management team on Saturday. Pre-season or not, a few good goals and a nice Kings Langley win will always be top of the agenda for the fans.